Trojan Horses
Yesterday afternoon, just before the holiday started, the government announced that it was revoking the Jerusalem residency rights of three Hamas legislators and a cabinet minister in response to Monday's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and Hamas' endorsement of that bombing.On Tuesday, Israeli-Arab MK Ahmed Tibi asked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to 'reconsider' the decision, while National Union MK Arye Eldad called it an 'insufficient' response to Monday's terror attack.
In order to retain their Israeli residency and identification cards, the Hamas members will need to announce to Israel's interior minister that they have resigned from the PA parliament and from the Hamas movement. [The absurdity of Hamas members having Israeli residency and identification cards and being able to move freely throughout the country apparently did not dawn on our government until Tuesday. CiJ]
Today, three Israeli-Arab MK's met with a Hamas legislator in 'East Jerusalem.'
MK Taleb A-Sanaa, who on Monday became the first Arab MK to be appointed to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said the visit he and MK Sheikh Ibrahim Sarsour and MK Sheikh Abbas Zakour made to the east Jerusalem home of Palestinian MP Sheikh Muhammad Abu Tir served Israel's interests.
A-Sanaa also said today that the Hamas-led 'Palestinian Authority' will accept the 'Saudi peace initiative' thereby 'recognizing Israel.' The 'Saudi peace initiative' was delivered at the March 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut. It offers Israel peace with all its Arab neighbors in exchange for 'justly solving the Palestinian refugee problem', fully withdrawing from territories 'occupied' in 1967, and allowing the creation of a viable Palestinian state. All 22 members of the League of Arab States - including Syria and Saddam Hussein's Iraq - endorsed it. Israel rejected it.
MK Zvulun Orlev (National Union - NRP) called A-Sanaa and his colleagues 'trojan horses.' MK Yuval Steinitz of the Likud called the visit 'inappropriate,' while even Labor MK Ofir Pines-Paz called the visit 'unforgiveable.'
A-Sanaa's membership on the sensitive foreign affairs and defense committee will be re-examined once the government is formed.
Revoking the Jerusalem IDs of the Hamas legislators will severely restrict their movement. In the case of Abu-Tir, whose home is close to west Jerusalem, it may mean that he cannot stay in his house because if he were caught without a Jerusalem ID he could be jailed as an illegal resident.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:18 AM
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